From March 17 to 21, 26 undergraduate and graduate students from universities across Japan gathered at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) for Science Challenge 2025, an annual workshop hosted by the OIST Graduate School to inspire the next generation of researchers. Selected from 131 applications, each including presentation slides and a short video, the students were given an opportunity to expand their scientific horizons and experience PhD-student life at OIST firsthand.
This year's theme, "Into the Unknown: What is your 0 to 1 idea?", invited participants to pitch their innovative science ideas as if they had unlimited access to resources for research. Over the course of the workshop, they developed these ideas into a 3-minute pitch.
The workshop also featured Science Talks by OIST faculty members. Professor Jason Twamley shared his research on quantum technologies and superconductivity, while Professor Amin Chabchoub discussed his research on rogue waves and Professor Amedeo Roberto Esposito spoke about interdisciplinary research as a way to understand various information measures that can be applied across scientific fields. These talks showcased the interdisciplinary research conducted at OIST.
Beyond lectures, participants explored OIST's cutting-edge research environment through lab tours, where they learned about projects in various scientific fields and experienced the unique research environment that defines OIST. Hands-on activities, led by OIST PhD students, allowed participants to try out techniques used in daily lab work, from experimental setups to programming and data analysis.
A highlight of the workshop was an open discussion between the participants and OIST PhD students which opened with the question "Why pursue a PhD?" These conversations gave participants an opportunity to personally connect with the OIST students and learn from their perspectives on graduate study, academic life, and future career paths in science.
In preparation for their final presentations, participants received expert tips on how to effectively develop and deliver their ideas in a short format. On the last day, the participants each presented their 3-minute '0 to 1' research pitch to a panel of judges: Dr. Harry Wilson (Curriculum Development Specialist), Rhett Register (Internal Communication Manager), and Aleksandra Gavrilova (PhD student).
Kaede Yoshida, an undergraduate student in bioscience from Waseda University, received the judges' Best Presentation Award for her idea to study the gut microbiome of Okinawan populations with low cancer incidence. The Audience Award, based on votes from the presentation audience, went to Yumiko Komaki, a bioinformatics undergraduate student from Keio University, who presented her idea to output non-verbal ideas using artificial intelligence.
For the participants, Science Challenge 2025 served to spark a deeper curiosity and perhaps a clearer vision for their own future in science. As one participant shared, "I'm really glad I participated! I got to experience life at OIST and talk with PhD students, which gave me a lot of valuable information. I was also inspired by meeting fellow participants who share a passion for science!" Another participant noted that the sessions helped ease a lot of their anxiety about "what to do next in life."
